An offshoot of that era — Roger Clemens' perjury trial — could be considered a dark time for what it says about citizens' knowledge of the legal system and the world in general.
One juror was turned away because she did not understand the defendant's "presumption of innocence" and the prosecution's burden in proving the charges, The Associated Press reports. Another juror — reportedly a lawyer for the FCC — claimed she didn't watch sports because she doesn't know how to operate her TV.
Clemens faces charges of lying to Congress when he said under oath in 2008 that he never used performance-enhancing drugs. The case is United States of America v. William R. Clemens.
Eighteen people have been qualified for the pool of 36, of whom 12 will be chosen as jurors and four as alternates.
Jury voir dire stipulates those 36 must either not know who Clemens is or must have no opinion of him. Although it's difficult to believe anyone could possibly have avoided any Clemens or steroids-related news in the last decade, let's just assume they've been living under rocks or they don't know how to turn on the TV.
